Masoud Pezeshkian is the ninth President of Iran, in office since July 28, 2024.He is a heart surgeon turned politician who won a snap presidential election after the sudden death of his predecessor, and has since steered Iran through one of the most turbulent periods in its modern history including a US-Israel military campaign against the country that began in February 2026.
At 71, he is the oldest person to have served as Iran’s president, and one of the most reform-minded. Understanding who Masoud Pezeshkian is his background, his family, his politics, and his current role is essential to understanding where Iran stands in 2026.
Who Is Masoud Pezeshkian?
Masoud Pezeshkian was born on September 29, 1954, in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan, Iran. He is a politician and heart surgeon who has served as the ninth president of Iran since 2024.
He is of Azerbaijani and Kurdish descent his father was Azerbaijani and his mother was Kurdish.This mixed heritage has shaped his identity as a politician who speaks both Azerbaijani and Kurdish alongside Persian, giving him a connection to minority communities that most Iranian leaders lack.
Before entering politics, Pezeshkian was a practicing cardiac surgeon and rose to lead Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.He is described as a reform-minded politician pushing for change, but always within the limits set by the system. That position reformist but regime-loyal defines both his strength and his constraints as president of Iran in 2026.
Masoud Pezeshkian’s Political Career
From Doctor to Parliament
Pezeshkian’s political career began in 1997 when he joined Mohammad Khatami’s administration as Deputy Health Minister.He served as Minister of Health and Medical Education from 2001 to 2005 under President Khatami.
He was later elected to Iran’s parliament, the Majles, multiple times representing Tabriz.As a member of the Majles, he criticized the government for the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, the strict imposition of hijab, and law enforcement’s brutal reaction to popular protests beginning in 2009.
That willingness to speak critically from within the system set him apart from most parliamentarians and gave him credibility with reformist voters.
Winning the 2024 Presidential Election
Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran’s runoff presidential election in July 2024, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country’s mandatory headscarf law.
He entered the race after the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. The election was snap, the timeline was short, and Pezeshkian was not the establishment’s preferred candidate but he won, and on July 28, 2024, he became the president of Iran.
Iran in 2026 What Pezeshkian Is Facing
The US-Israel War on Iran
February 28, 2026 changed everything. US-Israel forces launched military strikes on Iran, killing senior military commanders and, according to multiple verified reports, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The country was thrust into a leadership crisis alongside an active military conflict.
Pezeshkian served as a member of the Interim Leadership Council from March 1 to March 8, 2026, during the transition period that followed.He held the presidency together during the country’s most dangerous period in decades.
Diplomacy and the US-Iran Deal
Since the US-Israel attacks began on February 28, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif and Pezeshkian have spoken by phone at least seven times, often in conversations lasting up to an hour.Pakistan has played a key mediating role throughout the subsequent diplomatic process.
Pezeshkian landed in Pakistan after mediating the breakthrough US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland.His aircraft was named Minab 168, a tribute to the 168 people killed in an attack on an Iranian school in Minab on the first day of the war.
According to reports, Pezeshkian’s priority is revitalizing the Iranian economy, while other factions remain focused on strategic military interests.These competing pressures define his room to maneuver as president of Iran in 2026.
The List of Iran Presidents Where Pezeshkian Stands
The list of Iran presidents since the 1979 Islamic Revolution runs as follows:
| # | President | Years |
| 1 | Abolhassan Banisadr | 1980–1981 |
| 2 | Mohammad-Ali Rajai | 1981 |
| 3 | Ali Khamenei | 1981–1989 |
| 4 | Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani | 1989–1997 |
| 5 | Mohammad Khatami | 1997–2005 |
| 6 | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | 2005–2013 |
| 7 | Hassan Rouhani | 2013–2021 |
| 8 | Ebrahim Raisi | 2021–2024 |
| 9 | Masoud Pezeshkian | 2024–present |
Note: Iran does not have a Prime Minister. The position of Prime Minister was abolished in 1989 through constitutional amendments. When people search for Iran Prime Minister, they are typically looking for the president, whose role combines executive functions.
Masoud Pezeshkian’s Wife and Family
Fatemeh Majidi A Tragedy That Shaped Him
Masoud Pezeshkian’s wife was Fatemeh Majidi, a gynecologist whom he met while studying medicine in the 1970s.He had a daughter and three sons with Fatemeh, a gynecologist he had met while studying.
In 1994, a tragic car accident claimed his wife, Fatemeh Majidi, and one of their children. He never remarried and devoted himself to raising his three remaining children alone.This personal loss is not just a biographical footnote. It has shaped how people in Iran understand Pezeshkian as a man who endured grief quietly and chose duty over retreat.
Masoud Pezeshkian’s Children
Pezeshkian had four children in total.After the 1993 car crash that killed his wife and youngest son, the family was left with two brothers, Yousef and Mehdi, and a sister, Zahra.
Yousef Pezeshkian The Son Who Made Headlines
Yousef Pezeshkian is the most publicly known of the president’s children.Yousef Pezeshkian, born around 1981, is an Iranian professor of physics and political advisor. He is the son of President Masoud Pezeshkian and is notable for keeping an online diary on Telegram.His public presence, particularly through social media, has made him more visible than most children of Iranian officials, and his commentary on the country’s political situation has attracted attention both inside and outside Iran.
Masoud Pezeshkian’s Daughter
Masoud Pezeshkian’s daughter is Zahra Pezeshkian. She survived the 1993 car accident that killed her mother and youngest brother. She has stayed largely out of public life, unlike her brother Yousef, and limited information is publicly available about her current activities.
Pezeshkian’s Political Character What Makes Him Different
He is the most reform-oriented president since Mohammad Khatami (1997–2005), under whom he served as minister of health, although he is considered a regime loyalist and is restrained by a historically conservative parliament.
That combination genuine reformist instincts operating within a system that limits how far reform can go has defined his presidency. He has spoken out on hijab enforcement, women’s rights, and freedom of expression. He has also backed government positions when the system required it.He is described by CNN as Iran’s “accidental” president someone who rose to the position through extraordinary circumstances and has survived them.
Impact on Iran and the Region
Pezeshkian’s presidency matters beyond Iran’s borders. His willingness to engage diplomatically with Pakistan, Qatar, and indirectly with the United States has kept Iran from complete international isolation during the most severe military conflict it has faced in a generation.
Whether that diplomatic track leads to a durable settlement one that addresses Iran’s economy, its nuclear programme, and its regional relationships will determine whether Pezeshkian’s presidency is remembered as a stabilizing force or simply a holding position between crises.
Conclusion
Masoud Pezeshkian entered the presidency as an outsider who won by promising change within a system resistant to it. By 2026, he is navigating a war, a diplomatic opening, and internal pressures from factions that see his reform instincts as a threat.
His family story a widower who raised three children alone after a devastating loss tells you something about the person behind the politics. His son Yousef Pezeshkian has become a public figure in his own right. His daughter Zahra and son Mehdi remain more private.Who the president of Iran is in 2026 is a question with a complicated answer: a reformist, a cardiac surgeon, a widower, a war-time leader, and a diplomat all at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pezeshkian in Iran?
Masoud Pezeshkian is the ninth president of Iran, in office since July 28, 2024. Born on September 29, 1954, in Mahabad, he is a heart surgeon and politician of Azerbaijani and Kurdish descent. He is the most reform-oriented Iranian president since Mohammad Khatami, having won a snap election following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.He supports engagement with the West, has spoken out on women’s rights issues, and has led Iran through the 2026 US-Israel military conflict while pursuing diplomatic negotiations through Pakistani and Qatari mediation.
Who was Iran’s president before Pezeshkian?
Ebrahim Raisi was Iran’s president before Masoud Pezeshkian. Raisi served from 2021 until his death in May 2024, when the helicopter he was travelling in crashed in foggy, mountainous terrain in northwestern Iran. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died in the same crash. A snap presidential election was called, which Pezeshkian won in the second round by defeating hardliner Saeed Jalili. Before Raisi, Hassan Rouhani served two terms from 2013 to 2021, and before him Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held the presidency for two terms from 2005 to 2013.
Who is the most famous leader of Iran?
This depends on how “famous” is defined and among which audience. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic and its first Supreme Leader, is arguably the most globally recognized Iranian political figure of the modern era the 1979 revolution he led fundamentally changed Iran and influenced the entire region. Among presidents, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gained international notoriety for his confrontational foreign policy and nuclear stance during his 2005–2013 tenure. Masoud Pezeshkian has become significantly more internationally prominent in 2026 through Iran’s diplomatic engagement during the ongoing conflict.
